At the age of 16, Terri Calvesbert is about to leave school and begin animal studies at Otley College, near Ipswich.

And we should pause to wish her well.

Because there is nobody in the land who embodies the ­unbreakable nature of the human spirit like Terri.

When she was two, Terri suffered 85% burns in a fire.

She was left with no fingers, no lips, no nose and one foot.

She had to learn to walk a second time.

Terri has endured ­disability, ­operations and pain that we can’t imagine.

But she has made it. She has beaten her ­disability. Against all the odds, she is making her way in the world.

Her proud father Paul says: “I never thought I would see her start school, let alone get to this stage.”

It is impossible to look at Paul with his daughter without feeling moved.

This is what love looks like.

Nine years ago Terri received a Pride of Britain award for her endless courage.

Terri, you are the Pride of Britain every year.

And so is your brilliant father.

EU will have to let us vote, Ed

IF Ed Miliband and Labour don’t win the next General Election then they will have missed one of the great open goals in political history.

There can be no deal between Nigel Farage and David Cameron. They despise each other.

It looks like UKIP will bury Cameron and Miliband will step into 10 Downing Street over the coffin.

But here’s the problem for Ed Miliband – there has to be a ­referendum on our membership of the European Union.

How can any Prime Minister duck it?

Because anyone who doesn’t believe in a referendum on our membership of the EU obviously believes that the British people are too ignorant to decide their destiny.

Her Majesty's game of thrones

There was less than a year between the Queen (born April 21, 1926) and Margaret Thatcher (born October 13, 1925).

Yet when she died Maggie Thatcher had been out of the public eye for over 20 years and in extremely poor health for most of that time.

And the Queen only started to slow down this week.

The Queen has taken one step back from her duties.

Prince Charles will take her place at the meeting of Commonwealth heads of government in Sri Lanka – the first summit she has missed in 40 years.

And at the State opening of ­Parliament, for the first time Camilla looked like a Queen.

That is the future – although I reckon that the Queen stepping back has more to do with the advanced ages of her son (64, still waiting for the crown) and husband (91, increasingly frail) than it does with the Queen herself.

The Queen, 87, is right to pace herself because she can never walk away from her duties.

Football managers retire. But monarchs only retire on the day they die.

Going Dutch is a step up for Britain's Got Talent

IT was a big yes from me when Dutch dancers Martin van Bentem and Marielle Constancia appeared on Britain’s Got Talent.

It would have been an even bigger yes if it had been tiny Marielle chucking beefy Martin about. They are ­obviously people who have devoted 10,000 hours to their passion.

Rather than just miming with a hairbrush in front of a bedroom mirror for five minutes, like so many BGT contestants.

I couldn’t believe it when moaning minnies started complaining that the Dutch couple shouldn’t be allowed on BGT because they are not British.

We should be a little more generous. Because if Britain’s got anything, it is surely tolerance.